1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire vulcanizing system and a tire vulcanizing method, in which tire vulcanization, mold change, bladder change, mold preheating, and the like are carried out.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional fully automatic tire vulcanizing press, the work time for loading a green tire, shaping, and unloading a vulcanized tire is far shorter than the time over which vulcanization is carried out by introducing a heating/pressurizing medium in a tire in a state in which a tire mold assembly is closed. Therefore, a tire mold opening/closing device for opening/closing the tire mold assembly to load/unload a tire and tire loading and unloading devices are low in operation efficiency.
To solve this problem, the applicant of this invention has already proposed a tire vulcanizing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-80846 (No. 80846/1995).
As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, this tire vulcanizing system comprises vulcanizing stations 501a and 501b, mold opening/closing stations 502a and 502b, tire mold transporters 503a and 503b, rails 504 for the tire mold transporters, mold beds 505a, 505b, . . . , an unloader 507a, a loader 508a, a conveyor 509a for conveying vulcanized tires, a rack 510a for green tires, and a mold changing station (for changing a tread mold, side wall mold, etc. in a tire mold assembly Ma to accommodate a change of specification of a tire to be vulcanized and for changing a bladder, which is an expendable) 511.
In such a tire vulcanization system, a tire mold assembly Mc for which vulcanization has been finished is received by the tire mold transporter 503a (or 503b) from the vulcanizing station 501a (or 501b) at which a plurality of tire mold assemblies Mc being vulcanized are arranged, and is transported to the mold opening/closing station 502a (or 502b).
After the tire mold assembly Mc having been transported to the mold opening/closing station 502a is connected to the tire mold opening/closing device 506a (or 506b), the tire mold assembly Mc is opened by the tire mold opening/closing device 506a, and a vulcanized tire is unloaded by the unloader 507a attached to the tire mold opening/closing device 506a. Then, a green tire is loaded by using the loader 508a attached to the tire mold opening/closing device 506a. After the loaded tire is shaped during a tire mold closing step and the tire mold assembly Mc is closed, a heating/pressurizing medium is introduced and sealed in the tire, by which a tire vulcanizing step is started.
Next, the tire mold assembly Mc in which vulcanization has been started is disconnected from the tire mold opening/closing device 506a, placed on the tire mold transporter 503a again and transported, and returned to the vulcanizing station 501a, 501b . . . 
In the above-described conventional tire vulcanizing system, a discharge device (a control valve and pipes) for discharging the heating/pressurizing medium in the bladder is provided at each vulcanizing station to shorten the operation time at the mold opening/closing station. Therefore, this system is undesirable from the economical viewpoint. In particular, this system is disadvantageous in terms of economy when this system, in which the control valve and pipes for vulcanization control are provided individually, is used for a facility for mass-producing tires having the equal vulcanization time.
Also, when the conventional tire vulcanizing system is used for a production facility for small tires such as tires for a passenger car, for which the vulcanization time is as short as 8 to 12 minutes, this system requires the following.
In this system, the time for which the mold transporting device receives a tire mold assembly at the vulcanizing station, the work at the mold opening/closing station is finished, and the closed tire mold assembly is transported again and returned to the vulcanization station must be as short as possible. The reason for this is that since the same mold transporting device is used for both ways, the time interval until the transportation of the next mold increases when the mold transporting device transports the mold assembly, so that there arise problems in that the number of molds constituting the tire vulcanizing system cannot be increased, and that the economical efficiency is decreased.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and accordingly an object thereof is to provide more economical tire vulcanizing system and tire vulcanizing method in which a discharge device is not disposed at each vulcanizing station, but is disposed at a position just before the mold loading side of a mold opening/closing station so as to be commonly used for a loaded mold assembly.
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide more economical tire vulcanizing system and tire vulcanizing method in which a vulcanization control valve etc. is not disposed at each vulcanizing station, and a heating/pressurizing medium supply station is disposed on the mold unloading side of the mold opening/closing station so as to be commonly used for the supply of a heating/pressurizing medium into a bladder of a mold assembly unloaded from the mold opening/closing station and for the supply of a heating medium into a heating chamber outside the mold.
Further, still another object of the present invention is to provide a more economical tire vulcanizing system in which a first transporter for transporting the tire mold assembly from a mold opening/closing device to a vulcanizing station and a second transporter for transporting the tire mold assembly from the vulcanizing station to the mold opening/closing device, by which the transportation time is shortened and the number of tire molds constituting the system is increased.
For example, assuming that the vulcanization time is 10 minutes, the transporter reciprocating time is 40 seconds, and the treatment time at the mold opening/closing station is 80 seconds, in the case of the conventional system disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-80846 (No. 80846/1995),
the number of molds which can be treated by one mold opening/closing station is N1=10xc3x9760/(40+80)=5 . . . 5 molds.
By contrast, in the case of the system in accordance with the present invention,
the number of molds which can be treated by one mold opening/closing station is N2=10xc3x9760/80=7.5 . . . 7 molds, and
the number of molds which can be treated by first and second mold transporters is N3=10xc3x9760/40=15 . . . 15 molds.
As the whole of the system, the number of molds which can be treated is 7 molds at a maximum. In the system in accordance with the present invention, the number of molds can be increased as compared with the conventional system disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-80846.
It can be found that in order to further increase the number of molds, the treatment capacity of the mold opening/closing station should be increased, as is apparent from the above calculation example. As one solution to this problem, two mold opening/closing stations have only to be arranged. However, this solution is undesirable in terms of economy.
Thereupon, the applicant of the present invention proposes a vulcanizing system in which part of the operation process at the mold opening/closing station is carried out outside the mold opening/closing station, by which the treatment capacity of the mold opening/closing station is increased.
Specifically, attention was paid to the fact that the treatment time of 80 seconds at the mold opening/closing station is composed of the following time:
a) time for opening and closing the mold
about 30 sec
b) operation time of a vulcanized tire removing device
about 10 sec
c) bladder operating time for peeling a bladder off a vulcanized tire
about 10 sec
d) operation time of a green tire supply device
about 10 sec
e) time for inserting a bladder into a green tire and shaping it
about 20 sec
Thereby, the treatment capacity of the mold opening/closing station has been increased by eliminating about 30 seconds (time of the above items c and e) by the following means: A vulcanized tire, together with a bladder assembly, is separated from a mold and is moved to the outside of the mold opening/closing station. At this place, a bladder is peeled off the vulcanized tire. A bladder is inserted into a green tire and is shaped in another bladder assembly and tire in advance, and this is supplied to the mold immediately after the vulcanized tire and bladder assembly are separated from the mold.
According to this method, trial calculation can be made as follows with the vulcanization time being 10 minutes in the same way as the above-described calculation example.
The number of molds which can be treated by one mold opening/closing station N=10xc3x9760/(80xe2x88x9230)=12 12 molds.
The number of molds which can be treated by first and second mold transporters N=10xc3x9760/40=15 15 molds.
As the whole of the system, the number of molds which can be treated is 12 molds at a maximum. Therefore, more economical tire vulcanizing system and tire vulcanizing method can be provided.
To solve the above-described problems with the conventional art, the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of rows of tire vulcanizing stations which contain a plurality of sets of movable tire mold assemblies to vulcanize a tire; a mold opening/closing station which is disposed at the tire vulcanizing stations to receive the tire mold assembly to open and close a tire mold, by which a vulcanized tire is removed and a green tire is inserted; and a first mold transporting device and a second mold transporting device which are disposed between the mold opening/closing station and the tire vulcanizing stations to transport the tire mold assembly.
Also, the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of rows of tire vulcanizing stations which contain a plurality of sets of movable tire mold assemblies to vulcanize a tire; a mold opening/closing station which is disposed at the tire vulcanizing stations to receive the tire mold assembly to open and close a tire mold, by which a vulcanized tire is removed and a green tire is inserted; and a first mold transporting device and a second mold transporting device which are disposed between the mold opening/closing station and the tire vulcanizing stations to transport the tire mold assembly, and further comprises a discharge station which is disposed on the mold loading side of the mold opening/closing station to discharge a heating/pressurizing medium in a bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly having been transported from the tire vulcanizing station; and a supply station which is disposed on the mold unloading side of the mold opening/closing station to supply the heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly.
Further, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing system in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that the system has a bladder assembly comprising an outer shaft to which a holding member for holding one end of bladder is fixed; an inner shaft to which a holding member for holding the other end of bladder is fixed, and which is inserted so as to be slidable in the axial direction with respect to the outer shaft; and rotating means, in which a retaining claw is formed at one end of the outer shaft, and a clawed flange having a claw which engages with or passes through the retaining claw of the outer shaft in accordance with the rotational angle is rotatably assembled to the inner shaft, for rotating the clawed flange from one end of the inner shaft, and by the engagement of the retaining claw of the outer shaft with the claw of the clawed flange, the vulcanized tire or the green tire and the bladder assembly are integrated for the insertion into and removal from the tire mold.
The present invention provides a tire vulcanizing system in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that the system is provided with a vulcanized tire removal and green tire supply device comprising a separation station which receives an assembly in which the vulcanized tire and a bladder assembly are integrated, and separates the vulcanized tire and the bladder assembly from each other; a storage station which stores the plurality of bladder assemblies from which the vulcanized tire has been separated; and a shaping station which receives the bladder assembly delivered from the storage station, inserts a bladder in the green tire and performs shaping, and integrates the green tire and the bladder assembly with each other.
Also, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing method in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that a heating/pressurizing medium in a tire in the tire mold assembly is discharged at a waiting position just before the tire mold assembly is loaded to a mold opening/closing device at the mold opening/closing station, the tire mold is then opened and closed to remove the vulcanized tire and to insert the green tire, and the heating/pressurizing medium is supplied into the tire in the tire mold assembly and a heating medium is supplied to a heating chamber of the tire mold assembly at a waiting position on the unloading side of the tire mold assembly from the mold opening/closing device to vulcanize the tire.
Further, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing method in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that when the vulcanized tire is removed by opening the tire mold, the vulcanized tire and a bladder assembly are removed as a unit, and then the vulcanized tire is peeled off the bladder assembly, and subsequently the green tire and the bladder assembly are inserted into the tire mold in an integrated state to vulcanize the tire.
As described above, the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of rows of tire vulcanizing stations which contain a plurality of sets of movable tire mold assemblies to vulcanize a tire; a mold opening/closing station which is disposed at the tire vulcanizing stations to receive the tire mold assembly to open and close a tire mold, by which a vulcanized tire is removed and a green tire is inserted; and a first mold transporting device and a second mold transporting device which are disposed between the mold opening/closing station and the tire vulcanizing stations to transport the tire mold assembly. Therefore, the transportation work of the tire mold assembly between the vulcanizing station and the mold opening/closing station can be performed independently at the same time, so that the productivity of the whole system can be enhanced by shortening the transportation time, and the number of tire molds constituting the vulcanizing system can be increased.
Also, the tire vulcanizing system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of rows of tire vulcanizing stations which contain a plurality of sets of movable tire mold assemblies to vulcanize a tire; a mold opening/closing station which is disposed at the tire vulcanizing stations to receive the tire mold assembly to open and close a tire mold, by which a vulcanized tire is removed and a green tire is inserted; and a first mold transporting device and a second mold transporting device which are disposed between the mold opening/closing station and the tire vulcanizing stations to transport the tire mold assembly, and further comprises a discharge station which is disposed on the mold loading side of the mold opening/closing station to discharge a heating/pressurizing medium in a bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly having been transported from the tire vulcanizing station; and a supply station which is disposed on the mold unloading side of the mold opening/closing station to supply the heating/pressurizing medium into a heating chamber and the bladder assembly of the tire mold assembly. Therefore, the same effects as those of the above-described invention can be achieved, and also the heating/pressurizing medium discharge and supply stations can be commonly used for the loaded tire mold assembly.
Further, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing system in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that the system has a bladder assembly comprising an outer shaft to which a holding member for holding one end of bladder is fixed; an inner shaft to which a holding member for holding the other end of bladder is fixed, and which is inserted so as to be slidable in the axial direction with respect to the outer shaft; and rotating means, in which a retaining claw is formed at one end of the outer shaft, and a clawed flange having a claw which engages with or passes through the retaining claw of the outer shaft in accordance with the rotational angle is rotatably assembled to the inner shaft, for rotating the clawed flange from one end of the inner shaft, and by the engagement of the retaining claw of the outer shaft with the claw of the clawed flange, the vulcanized tire or the green tire and the bladder assembly are integrated for the insertion into and removal from the tire mold. Therefore, the removal of the vulcanized tire and the insertion of the green tire can be carried out rapidly and securely.
The present invention provides a tire vulcanizing system in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that the system is provided with a vulcanized tire removal and green tire supply device comprising a separation station which receives an assembly in which the vulcanized tire and a bladder assembly are integrated, and separates the vulcanized tire and the bladder assembly from each other; a storage station which stores the plurality of bladder assemblies from which the vulcanized tire has been separated; and a shaping station which receives the bladder assembly delivered from the storage station, inserts a bladder in the green tire and performs shaping, and integrates the green tire and the bladder assembly with each other. Therefore, the vulcanized tire removing work and the green tire supplying work can be performed efficiently.
Also, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing method in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that a heating/pressurizing medium in a tire in the tire mold assembly is discharged at a waiting position just before the tire mold assembly is loaded to a mold opening/closing device at the mold opening/closing station, the tire mold is then opened and closed to remove the vulcanized tire and to insert the green tire, and the heating/pressurizing medium is supplied into the tire in the tire mold assembly and a heating medium is supplied to a heating chamber of the tire mold assembly at a waiting position on the unloading side of the tire mold assembly from the mold opening/closing device to vulcanize the tire. Therefore, the vulcanization of tire can be carried out more rapidly and economically.
Further, the present invention provides a tire vulcanizing method in which a movable tire mold assembly is carried onto a mold opening/closing station, where a tire mold is opened and closed to remove a vulcanized tire and insert a green tire for the vulcanization of tire, characterized in that when the vulcanized tire is removed by opening the tire mold, the vulcanized tire and a bladder assembly are removed as a unit, and then the vulcanized tire is peeled off the bladder assembly, and subsequently the green tire and the bladder assembly are inserted into the tire mold in an integrated state to vulcanize the tire. Therefore, the vulcanization of tire can be carried out more rapidly and economically.